1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to storage containers, and more particularly, to storage containers having a base and a lid coupled together by way of a hinge assembly for selectively opening and closing the storage container for selective access to the contents of the storage container.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Storage containers are well known in the art. Typical storage containers include a base having a number of walls that cooperate to define a cavity and an opening through which items to be stored within the cavity may be introduced. These storage containers oftentimes include a lid that may be placed over the opening to prevent access to or protect the contents of the storage container. The lid may be provided either completely separate from the base and secured to the base by snapping or otherwise mechanically engaging the lid with a portion of the base surrounding the opening. In other instances, the lid may be hingedly coupled to the base such that the lid remains attached to the base and is movable between a closed position in which the lid covers the opening and an open position in which the lid is rotated about the hinges of the storage container to a position being slightly past vertical such that the lid may come to rest once it reaches the open position.
A latch element may be provided to selectively lock the lid to the base to prevent removal of the lid from the base. A locking device such as a padlock or the like may be provided in some cases for further securing the contents of the storage container by preventing the latch element from being opened while the locking device is in place. These storage containers are commonly constructed of a plastic material or similarly durable material formed through a molding process just as blow molding or similar such process.
Storage containers of this type suffer from a number of known disadvantages. For storage containers in which the lid is entirely separable from the base, the lid may become lost or may be easily damaged or discarded rendering the storage container less than suitable for providing secure storage for the contents of the storage container. Where the lid is hingedly coupled to the base, storage containers of this type typically have hinge constructions that are generally weak and susceptible to being damaged through repeated or careless use. Further, hinges of this type are constructed such that the lid is not releasable from the hinge. Accordingly, when the lid is opened harshly or an external force such as a gust of wind or an object contacts the lid when it is in its opened position, the hinges are susceptible to failure and may break under the applied force therefore rendering the storage container unsuitable for secure storage of items therein. Further, known hinges allow for the lid to be rotated to a point slightly past vertical such that the lid may come to rest in an open position without requiring the user to hold the lid so that the user may more easily access the contents of the storage container. However, when the lid is maintained in this position, it is susceptible to being subjected to further wear and tear particularly about the hinges.
Yet another disadvantage of storage containers of the prior art including a hinged construction is that the storage containers are relatively difficult and expensive to transport. In particular, storage containers of this type cannot be nested or stacked with one another because the lids of the storage containers interfere with the stacking thereof. Accordingly, such storage containers must be transported on pallets or the like individually, which takes up a great deal of space, which understandably increases the cost of transporting such containers from a manufacturing facility to distributors and retailers. Further, once the storage containers reach their final destination, e.g. point of sale, because they cannot be stored in a nested or stacked manner, they take up a considerable amount of shelf space thereby limiting the number of units that a retailer may keep in stock at a given time.
A storage container that overcomes one or more of the foregoing identified disadvantages is therefore desired.